1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and a method for a firearm cartridge casing catcher.
2. Background Art
Cartridge casing catchers are mounted adjacent the ejection port of a firearm to catch the spent cartridge casings (so-called “brass”) as the casings are ejected after a round is fired. The brass is generally collected for reloading and to prevent casings from being underfoot which can cause a shooter or observer unstable shooting or movement. The brass may also be collected by a cartridge casing catcher to reduce the evidence left at the shooting site and to reduce the noise generated during the shooting by eliminating the noise generated when the casing impacts the surface (i.e., floor, roof, etc.) where the shooter (i.e., firearm user) is positioned. An example of a conventional spent shell container is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,333 to Kratzer (Kratzer '333).
Conventional brass catchers such as shown in the Kratzer '333 patent may have a deficiency in that spent cartridges are ejected with a significant force and tend to bounce inside the collection chamber and in some instances, the spent cartridge can bounce back into the firearm ejection port causing the firearm to jam. Such a jam is highly undesirable when the firearm user is involved in a critical mission situation.
Conventional brass catchers such as shown in the Kratzer '333 patent may have additional deficiencies in that the spent cartridges tend to rattle in the collection chamber and thus cause additional undesirable noise, and the impact of the spent cartridge one the sides and bottom of the catcher can cause a drumming of the conventional catcher structure and radiation of the corresponding noise.
The muzzle report of blow back operated and closed breech firearms may be reduced by the installation of a so-called “silencer” (more properly called a suppressor) on the muzzle, integral with the barrel of the firearm, or both on the muzzle and integral with the barrel. Examples of conventional firearms suppressors are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,356 to Richardson, U.S. Pat. No. 1,018,720 to Maxim, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,229,675 to Thompson. However, significant noise and flash (i.e., blast) are generated and expelled at the breech of the firearm, especially for open-bolt (or blowback) firearms, and from a closed breech weapon to an extent which can be unacceptable for clandestine operations. For example, weapons such as the Heckler & Koch Model HK MP5SD, while having very low muzzle report, still produce noise and flash from the ejection port which presents a blast that may be significant and unacceptable in some situations and open bolt weapons such as the Ingram—10, even when equipped with a muzzle suppressor, still can produce noise (as well as flash) from the breech that is at a level such that the user advisably wears ear protection to reduce the likelihood of hearing loss. Conventional brass catchers such as shown in the Kratzer '333 patent and especially bag type brass catchers may provide some flash reduction but provide very little reduction of the noise emitted at the firearm port.
Thus, there exists a need and an opportunity for an improved system and an improved method for a cartridge casing catcher. Such an improved system and an improved method for a cartridge casing catcher may provide reduced or eliminated bouncing of the spent cartridges back into the firearm ejection port and so reduce or eliminate jamming caused by the spent cartridges bouncing back, reduced or eliminated noise and flash from a firearm ejection port, reduced or eliminated rattle of collected brass, and reduced or eliminated brass catcher structure drumming.